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Baker Lake Report
Whatcom County, WA

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Details

08/08/2010
Trolling
Salmon
Black
Other
Afternoon
08/10/2010
4
2549

Attempted to have a family trip to Baker Lake on Sunday. Of course, this meant leaving the house at around 11:45 rather than O'dark thirty. We stopped in Burlington to get licenses/punch cards for the kids, but the system wouldn't process them without their social security numbers this year (I thought they didn't need that until 18, but I guess it starts at 15 now). Oh well. Grabbed some lunch. Headed east. Next we had a trailer tire delaminate on Hiway 20. Got to teach the kids how to change a tire. At this point my wife wonders if God is telling us not to fish today. I reply that God is testing us to see how bad we want to fish today...

We launched at Shannon Creek, which is a deeper and easier launch than Horseshoe Creek, but a long gravel road ride further up lake... It is now 4pm and my wife wants to head home at 5pm... she and Tim explore the shore. Megan comes out to "assist" me fishing. We blast to our spot and put two poles down (I have the endorsement). A lite steelhead pole with an open face spinning reel on one side with a dodger and black hooks. A salmon pole with dodger and red hooks on the other side. We troll down lake into the sun and see fish on the scope. We turn back and head back uplake through them. Megan notices the left pole get a hit. I grab it and take it off the clip, reel down and hand her the pole. On the lite pole, the fish takes several good runs, goes airborne 3 or 4 times and under the boat once. She does a good job and I net our first sockeye... Reset stuff and we're up towards the shallower water now so we turn around. Another boat saw us net the fish and is trolling through where we caught our fish. I troll downlake past them and then turn uplake again. The salmon pole goes off. I start to fight the fish and the steelhead pole goes off, too. I hand Megan the salmon pole and try to take the steelhead pole off the clip, but the fish is gone. Megan fights our second fish and I net it. It is 4:45. We head back to Shannon Creek with big smiles.

Put the boat on the trailer and stopped for dinner at Cascade Burgers, then head back to Kirkland. A successful trip.


Comments

Mike Carey
8/10/2010 11:15:00 AM
I love your response - "God is testing us", good mindset!
BentRod
8/10/2010 11:24:00 AM
Way to make the most of a short trip! Glad you had some action. Good story too. lol
MotoBoat
8/10/2010 12:13:00 PM
After finely arriving at the lake, you are granted 1 hr of fishing, all you need is 45 minutes to do some catching. This trip turned out, nicely played.
rseas
8/10/2010 12:21:00 PM
Too funny, we stopped at Cascade on the way home also. We were sitting in the booth along the west wall by the jukebox and when you and the family walked in, I said I think I saw these guys out on the lake. In fact just before we made the run from Noisy Creek back to the other end of the lake we trolled ahead of you guys for a bit. I should have made the appropriate introductions. It would have been fun to talk fishing over an excellent meal.

Anyway, congratulations on the quick catch…a great end to what was otherwise a difficult day.
TomD
8/10/2010 12:37:00 PM
Rseas - we recognized you from out on the lake (actually mostly your wife in the Shimano shirt), but didn't know who you were... My wife doesn't understand the comraderie of the fishing/washlakes crowd, and so she was discouraging me from saying hello to the strangers we saw on the lake in the restaurant... Sorry about that! We have been consistently successful in that spot out from shore where you saw us, and usually trolling out of the sun. I think that puts more flash on the dodgers? Anyways, I still need to figure out where the good huckleberry spots are... I hope there is another trip or two in my future before it dies down for the year!
manrandy7770
8/10/2010 1:20:00 PM
Well guess what ! 2 pole endorsement can't be used where there is salmon. I know it is not in the regs but WDW agents will tell you it is well documented and you can can get a $94 ticket like I did. I was sockeye fishing in Lake Pateros. Called Olympia and agent said sorry I did't write the Regs. Go figure.
rseas
8/10/2010 1:57:00 PM
We got a different reading from Dave the game warden who was working Baker Lake on the opener. After he checked our licenses and fish I specifically asked him about the two pole endorsement. His response was that it is allowed on Baker Lake. I think that what happened on Lake Pateros was that under the WDFW regulations Lake Pateros (code 545) is listed under the Columbia River, “From Wells Dam to Chief Joseph Dam” and currently the two pole endorsement unless otherwise noted is only applicable when fishing various freshwater lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Under the WDFW regulations Lake Pateros is a river and the two pole endorsement does not apply.
TomD
8/10/2010 2:03:00 PM
I also have a written e-mail from the WDFW biologist that is in charge of the fishery, and he says it is okay as well... I'm sorry the regs are so confusing!!! I know from the North of Falcon work I do that "in general" the two pole endorsement wasn't allowed where there might be ESA listed fish present (like the Columbia system) or where the population and catch modelling was done with the FRAM model, which only has catch per unit effort data for one pole.
Big D
8/11/2010 4:52:00 AM
The two pole endorsement is allowed on Rufus Woods which is also part of the Columbia River system…Go figure.
Idstud
8/11/2010 5:25:00 AM
Nice job that would have been a great and exiting day. My wifes the same way at being shy but I think shes getting use to it. This web site is a great way to meet new friends and learn new tricks of the trade. Ive launched at shannon both the times Ive been up there it is a nice launch. Thanks for your report and good job
lotsofish
8/11/2010 7:39:00 AM
Good to hear the sockeye are still hanging around . the wife and I are headed over that way and plan on checking it out . I can't remember having to travel a gravel road to go up the baker Lake road towards Shannon Ck. campground . Its been several years since I,ve been there , butt always enjoyed the camping at Grinders cabin on the north end of baker lk. road . the way I remember it , the road was paved all the way to the end . By the way , why would you be concerned about a 2 pole endorcement if there are two people in the boat ??
TomD
8/11/2010 7:46:00 AM
Because we weren't able to get the kids licenses due to not knowing their SSN's off the top of my head... Also, for sockeye, you want as much flash in the water as you can get... so if you can run more poles, it's the thing to do... In Lake Washington, I also run flashers on my downrigger balls and run the gear further up the cable, but I don't do that at Baker Lake because I have heard stories of stumps and other grabby stuff on the bottom, and I fish closer to the bottom in Baker... Good luck!
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Phone: (509) 860-6497